Banda Aceh – Indonesia Tuesday expelled two Malaysians and a US citizen after they illegally entered the restive province of Aceh which remains under a state of civil emergency, an official said.

"This morning we expelled the three foreigners," said Imron Zubandi, of the Aceh provincial immigration office. Authorities identified the two Malaysians as Jumat bin Majid, 31 and Ong Kung Wai, 44, and named the American as Blanchet Sean Kehoe, 21.

Zubandi said the Malaysians told investigators they had been invited by a coffee processing company in Takengon, Central Aceh.

Misradi, an executive of the company, told journalists he was not aware that foreign visitors needed special permits. He said the Malaysians were consultants on organic fertilizers, while theAmerican was a student interested in studying local culture and customs.

"They were not deported but expelled from the territory of Aceh because they had entered it without a permit from the ruler of the state of civilian emergency," Zubandi said.

The trio entered Aceh by land on June 18 from the neighboring province of North Sumatra. They were heading for Takengon where police arrested them on May 19.

Aceh has remained virtually closed to foreigners since Jakarta put the province at the northernmost tip of Sumatra island under martial law on May 19 last year and launched a major offensive against rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Last month martial law was replaced with a civilian state of emergency but foreigners still need special permits to visit.

Meanwhile Aceh Military Spokesman Lt. Col. Asep Sapari said troops on Monday shot dead two people, including an alleged GAM district chief in South Aceh.

Muhrizal alias Buyung Boto was shot dead in a clash on Monday while another guerrilla was shot dead later elsewhere in the area, Sapari said.

He accused GAM guerrillas of having killed two civilians in separate incidents on Monday and of having taken hostage two others. GAM officials could not be immediately reached for comment.